PONCHO newsletter

April 2007

PONCHO celebrated its 45th anniversary on April 21 by doing what it does best: throwing a great party and raising a lot of money for the arts.

This year’s Gala lived up to its theme of Hot! Hot! Hot! by offering patrons a sultry Latin-inspired evening that not only raised body temperatures but a lot of paddles. The evening’s finale was the unveiling of a South Beach dance club complete with live band, specialty drinks and chill-out canopy couches.

The creative efforts of Gala Chair Naomi Ruiz and her committee did not go unnoticed. “Wow! Wow! Wow! Thank you for the party of a lifetime – world class in every way,” read a thank note from one of the attendees. “You did a wonderful job with the Gala! It was such a fun event and there really was never a dull moment!” agreed another. And from a long time Gala patron: “Sensational! Hot! Hot! Hot! The Gala was never more gala… a spectacular evening and the attention to detail was noticeable everywhere…”

But the PONCHO Gala is not just a great party. It is a way for our community to come together to celebrate and support the arts. And the auction night proceeds did not disappoint. PONCHO raised $833,000 for the arts auction night, including $143,000 for Arts Education initiatives.

Some of the highlights of the auction included a Complete Formula 1 Racing Experience for 2 at the Turkish Grand Prix that fetched a whopping $25,000; a time-honored tradition of the PONCHO Gala - Flowers for a Year from Seattle’s favorite florist Martha E. Harris - valued at $4,500, raised an incredible $10,000; A Dinner for 12 at the home of Jeffrey & Susan Brotman, prepared by culinary queen, Renee Behnke and paired with twenty years of Petrus wines from the cellar of Michael Corliss & Lauri Darneille, brought in $17,500 for the arts.

“The Gala is the centerpiece of PONCHO’s support for the arts,” said Gala Chair Naomi Ruiz. “While the event is ever-changing and evolving, our goal stays the same – we want to engage people and make them feel a part of a celebration that supports and cares for our local arts organizations and artists.”

PONCHO thanks the many generous patrons, donors and volunteers who have made the PONCHO Gala truly special this year. PONCHO’s success is your success and it means a great deal to our arts organizations and artists.

To view photos from the Gala, visit the Team Photogenic Web site.

PONCHO would like to thank the following companies and individuals for their generous support of the Gala:

Presenting Sponsor - The Boeing Company

Main Stage Sponsors: Michael D. & Marjorie Alhadeff, Kenneth & Marleen Alhadeff, The Production Network, Wells Fargo.

Loge Level Sponsors: Alaska Airlines, Bentley Bellevue, Continental Airlines, Garrigan Lyman Group, Holland America Line, Pernod Ricard, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Regence BlueShield.

Gallery Level Sponsors: Chateau Ste. Michelle, Citigroup Private Bank, Ederer Investment Company, KeyBank, Kibble & Prentice, JPMorgan Private Bank, McAdams Wright Ragen, Mellon, Northwest Crafts Alliance.

Special Contributors
The Hottest Ticket in Town: Chap & Eve Alvord, Elias & Karyl Alvord, Rick & Nancy Alvord, Stephen Kutz & Courtney Womack, Lex Lindsey & Lynn Manley, Paul & Lita Luvera.

Benefactors: Paul & Joyce Birkeland, Jeffrey & Susan Brotman, Craig & Marion Hopkins, Mark Levine & John Keppeler, Bob & Annette Parks, Arlene A. Wright & Beni Turan.

This year, PONCHO is honoring The Behnke Family with the PONCHO Founders Award. Join us in celebrating The Behnke Family's distinguished contributions to the arts and our community at large at a special luncheon to be held Thursday, June 14 at the Sunset Club.

Reservations are $60 per person. View the event flyer here or contact Inna Shmelyova at the PONCHO office at 206-623-6233, ext. 203 or inna@poncho.org for questions or to make your reservation. PONCHO thanks the ENCORE Media Group for presenting this event.